In UFT, we can use lot of ways to identify
an object. Most of the UFT Test Developers are always using streamlined and
static approaches and if object is not identifiable using those approaches,
just leaving then as not identifiable.
We can try using below ways of
handling objects for our purpose before saying NO !!!
1. Store the objects in OR
If you are comfortable on using OR
and suitable for your project with your designed framework, you can go ahead
with OR.
a. Add the object in
OR, then see what are the properties will make QTP to identify this object
uniquely.
b. Remove unwanted properties
c. Add unique and required properties
d. Assign regular expressions for
the required properties which have dynamic values in full or part. Make use of
Reg Exp Evaluator to set the RegExp correctly.
e. Assign a human understandable,
easily classifiable logical name for the object based on type
of object, application module or screen, etc.
2. Use Descriptive Programming
Here you can use 2 types of DP.
A. Inline or String DP:
Mention your properties in the line
where we are mentioning our actions to be performed using “name:=value” pairs.
Here the important point is, this
type of object identification is regular expression support enabled by default.
So you have to use literal character(\) if any regexp chars available as part
of your name:=value pairs.
B.Description Object:
If you have lot of properties to
instruct UFT to identify an object, inline DP will create lengthy statement and
confusion. At this point, you can go with Description Object.
Create an instance of Description
object and assign the values for all the required properties. Also you need to
assign RegularExpression property true/false to enable the regexp
support for the assigned properties.
3. Xpath
From QTP 11, you are ready to use
xpath for web objects. Really its an easy way to inform the web objects path to
UFT as like our normal DP.
Ex. To get the google search box
Browser("title:=.*google.*").Page("title:=.*google.*").WebEdit("xpath:=//INPUT[@name='q']").Set "testing"
4. CSS Path
This also supported from QTP 11 like
xpath.
Ex.To get the google search box
Browser("title:=.*google.*").Page("title:=.*google.*").WebEdit("css:=INPUT[name='q']").Set
"testing"
5. DOM Path
This one you can use from previous
versions of QTP. This is a method where we are directly fetching our objects
from web page document using DOM.
In UFT, they have provided a function
called RunScript and RunScriptFromFile
for PAGE objects to execute the
scripts on the page to get the objects.
You can make use of IE developer
tools (press F12 to open in IE) to check and develop your DOM scripts.
Ex.To
get the google search box
Browser("title:=.*google.*").Page("title:=.*google.*").RunScript("document.getElementsByName('q')(0)").value
= "testing"
Refer QTP RunScript.
6. Virtual Objects
This is a known way to all UFT test
developers. Just we are creating an image of our object and instructing UFT to
identify runtime object based on the image.
Here you need to take extra care with
respect to different environments, themes and also need to place the virtual
objects folder to all UFT machines.
This feature is used rarely by UFT
developers worldwide but based on this type of image recognition, we have
lot of automation tools in current world.
7. Virtual Relation Identifier
From QTP 11, we have an option to
instruct UFT to identify the objects as manual testers are doing in real time
by seeing visually using eyes. i.e. We can instruct UFT like,
a. Click the button which is
available next to an identifiable button/element in horizonally.
b. Click the button which is
available next to an identifiable button/element in vertically.
c. Click the button which is
available before to an identifiable button/element in horizonally.
d. Click the button which is
available before to an identifiable button/element in vertically.
You can instruct these properties in
Object Repository itself for Visual Relation property. Also, we can instruct this type of visual
relation in programmatic way using Descriptive Programming without using Object
Repository.
8. Create Custom Add-Ins
Create custom Add-Ins? What? Can we
create add-ins ourself?
Yeah !!! QTP 11 provides an
tool/utility called QTP Extensibility Accelerator to
create custom add-ins for the custom objects support in your AUT. Currently,
QTP 11 provides a add-in creation template for Web Objects only. We can create
our custom add-in with in 10 mins. But for other environments, you need to
create using some IDE, need some basic VB or other coding knowledge. But we can
create custom add-ins for all type of objects using this tool.
